Kilometre of Westward Road tidied up as part of ‘Clean for The Queen’

Published:
Tuesday, 29 March, 2016

Volunteers from Stroud District Council and Cainscross Parish Council were joined yesterday by prisoners on a resettlement scheme from Leyhill Prison to spruce up part of Westward Road in Stroud as part of the Clean for the Queen initiative.

Lucy Biddle, from Stroud District Council’s public spaces team, said:

“We litter-picked over a kilometre of the road and side-streets and by the end of the day had collected 60 bin bags of waste.”

But the teams didn’t just pick litter, they also cut back weeds, gave the pavements a sweep and cleared away detritus left from decaying plant matter.

Lucy added:

“We picked up paper, cans, bottles and a discarded kitchen table, and we also cut back weeds growing at the base of walls along the route. This will help keep the place cleaner over the next few months as there will be fewer areas for rubbish to accumulate. All of the volunteers felt a sense of achievement. If anyone is interested in organising a community litter pick in their area this month we can provide litter pickers, gloves and rubbish bags. We can also arrange for the bags to be taken away afterwards. It’s surprisingly enjoyable and makes a real and visible difference.”

Clean for The Queen aims to give the country a tidy-up ahead of the Queen’s 90th birthday in April. The aim of the event is to inspire community groups, local authorities, businesses and individuals to take part in the country’s biggest ever clean-up event.

At the start of the month the council’s neighbourhood wardens arranged and took part in community clean-ups in Cashes Green in Stroud, Kingshill in Dursley, Forest Green in Nailsworth and at Hardwicke Village Pond.

The campaign is backed by anti-litter charities such as Keep Britain Tidy and the Campaign to Protect Rural England. It has also won the backing of councils across the UK who spend around £1billion clearing litter every year.

Anyone interested in organising a litter pick for Clean for The Queen initiative should email public.space@stroud.gov.uk or call 01453 754424.